Armed forces widows being ‘condemned to live a solitary life’

THE Prime Minister should make a new year’s resolution to ‘stop condemning forces widows to a solitary life,’ according to a military society.

The Forces Pension Society says current rules mean many widows of service personnel lose their pensions if they remarry.

The group wants a change to ensure all forces widows keep their pensions whatever happens in their personal lives.

The society’s chairman, Sir Christopher Coville, said the rules were an ‘obscenity’ and an ‘affront to the military covenant’.

He said: ‘Decent women with a natural human need for love and partnership are being condemned to a life of solitude and are being treated like criminal suspects.

‘The Prime Minister personally championed the covenant so we are looking to him to honour it and show true leadership by reversing this decision and making public a new year’s resolution to stop condemning forces windows to a solitary life.’